Rev. June Norris
MCC has lost another of our pioneers with the passing of Rev. June Norris on 14 December. She was 88 years old and still active until recently when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She chose not to undergo treatment, but to let it take its course, giving her quality time to say goodbye to friends, colleagues, and loved ones.
June was a mentor, teacher, outstanding example, friend, confidant, supporter. She was spirit-filled, generous, kind, compassionate, and more to/for many in MCC throughout the years. She frequently shared her wisdom and her fantastic sense of humor with those on LayLink and on the clergy list. She radiated love to all around her. If MCC had official saints, Rev. June would definitely be one!
Her passing leaves a void which no one else can ever fill.
A Memorial Service is tentatively planned for Sunday, 9 January, 2011.
Biography
Rev. Norris was born on 30 June in Colorado, raised in the Baptist church in southern Illinois, married at 15, and had three children by age 20. They moved to Florida. After 28 years of marriage, she left her husband to discover what life was like beyond being allowed to be only a wife. She received her GED at age 46 and moved to California to attend college.
The only person she knew in Los Angeles was her nephew Ted Sweet. He was gay and invited her to attend MCC with him. She experienced God’s call that day, although it took her awhile to understand what that really meant for her life.
She joined MCC LA in November 1971 and entered Samaritan Bible School, MCC’s seminary at the time. In 1972 she was licensed as an Exhorter (student clergy); in 1973 she was licensed as Clergy; and in 1974 she was ordained, becoming the first heterosexual person and the second woman (after Rev. Elder Freda Smith) to be ordained in MCC.
In 1976, June lost her job at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital because of her association with homosexuals, so Rev. Elder Troy Perry put her on staff at the mother church.
In 1980, she moved across the US to answer the call to pastor MCC Fayetteville (North Carolina). St. John’s MCC in Raleigh also needed a pastor, so she served both churches for awhile before going fulltime at St. John’s MCC until 1988 when she returned to California.
While in Raleigh she stood up to Southern Bell (telephone company) after being notified her that the church could not identify itself with the word “gay” in their phone book. “I told them it would be on their heads if someone committed suicide because they couldn’t find us,” she said. She won the argument.
In 1989, Rev. Norris was called as pastor of Church of the Holy Spirit MCC (Des Moines, Iowa) where she served until she retired in 1992. She returned to southern California, this time to Escondido and being active at MCC San Diego until her homegoing this week. She preached both services there on 24 October and was honored by the congregation that day.
Not only was she a wonderful pastor for many years, but she also served on the Clergy Credentials and Concerns Committee (1983-87), as a founding member of White People Healing Racism, as Assistant District Coordinator for the Gulf Lower Atlantic District (1985-6), and as the UFMCC liaison to the National Council of Churches’ Family Ministry and Human Sexuality Committee (1983-87)
Additional Biographical Information
June Norris was born in Colorado on June 30, 1922, and raised in the Baptist Church in southern Illinois. She was married at 15 and had three children by age 20. “Back in those days, kids did get married young, especially in southern Illinois. That’s the kind of country place where I lived”, Norris said.
After 28 years of marriage, she left her husband and their Florida home. “I decided I wanted to become whoever I am, because he wanted me to be just his wife,” she said. She decided to go to California to go to college. She got her GED in Florida when she was 46.
As an adult, Norris attended the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and she took a job at the church’s White Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California, attending East Los Angeles College at night. New to the city, she looked up her only relative in the area, her sister’s son, Ted Sweet, who had moved to Los Angeles after a divorce. One night at dinner, Sweet told his aunt he was gay. After her nephew left, Norris began doing research. “I was trying to find out why he thought he was gay, because I didn’t think he was,” she said. “I didn’t know very much about them. I’d heard there were people like that, but I didn’t think I knew anybody who was gay. I didn’t think I’d ever met anybody like that.” Although naïve, Norris had not been raised to think badly of homosexuals. After taking her nephew to church one Saturday, she agreed to go on Sunday to a new church he had been attending. “It was the first building they had bought,” she said. “It was a church on Union Street in Los Angeles. When I approached it, there was this beautiful stained glass window, with Jesus and his hands outstretched. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really a church.’ I had always had a strong spiritual life,” she said. “I had never felt the same kind of feeling about a church that I had in that building. I think it was God speaking to me. I think I was being called to this ministry at that moment, but I didn’t know what it all meant.
Read more about Rev. June at LGBT Religious Archives Network by clicking here.
Listen to the Oral HiStory Rev. June provided MCC in 2007 by clicking here.
A Poem by Rev. June
This is a poem which Rev, June wrote in 1989 summarizing the many stories people shared with her during the years, thinking that they were forever excluded from God’s love..
MY 151st PSALM
God, where are you?
Jesus, did you really die for Me?
Holy Spirit, where is the power you promised?
I told my friend who I am
My friend became my enemy!
To my parents, I revealed myself
They turned away
My heart is shattered; my tears are unquenchable
Why, O God, am I different?
I went to my pastor for comfort and received condemnation
Is there a place for me in your plan?
Or am I condemned to death?
Then in my deepest need YOU CAME!
You came in the form of a friend
whose loving heart knew my pain
who told me of a special place a church
where ALL are God’s people
Cynical, broken, could I dare to believe?
“Come,” she said, “Taste the new wine! Come and see
the goodness of God.”
Fearfully, with racing heart and trembling knees I entered
and found You there.
Your arms embraced me.
Your love surrounded me.
I was HOME!!
Sweet tears of joy!
Sweet, sweet Spirit
Feed me!
Touch me!
Guide me!
Thank you God for freeing me to be me!
A hymn text written by Rev. June Norris, 1986 (Shared by Rev. Jeremy McLeod)
WHY SEEK YE THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD?
“Why are you here?” the bright angel said
“This is a place that is kept for the dead.”
“We’ve come to see Jesus,” the woman cried.
“The one Roman soldiers have crucified.”
“We want to anoint his body,” they say.
“That’s why we’ve come to the tomb today.
Please stand apart, that we may go inside.
It’s now the third day since our Jesus has died.”
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
“Women, women, please listen to me.
The tomb is quite empty. Look! you can see
the burial clothes lying there on the floor.
And God’s mighty power has opened the door.
Remember he said, ‘I’Il rise from the grave
and death will be conquered, all people to save?”
Stunned disbelief filled the women with fear.
“He was laid in this tomb. Why isn’t he here?”
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
They went to a gardner they saw standing there.
“Where did you take Jesus?” cried Mary’s despair.
“Mary, Mary, ” the man gently said.
“Look! I am Jesus. Do I seem dead?”
Rejoicing and running, Mary went like the wind.
Found Peter and John, who called Jesus friend.‘
“I saw him,” she shouted. “Oh please come and see.
He’s not in the tomb where we thought we would be.”
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Quickly they followed, but not with belief.
“The woman,” they whispered, “is crazy with grief
We’ll go to show her the body is there.”
But it wasn’t! It isn’t! Today it’s our prayer
That we, as we tell this great story again
be enthralled; be enraptured. All women and men
will embody the Christ and forging ahead
Will ne’er seek the living among the dead‘
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
June Norris March 1986, revised March 1999
